NOTES ON COLLECTING, ETC. 283 



"Our rush-feeding Coleophorai," by Dr. Wood {E.M.M.), are probably 

 the most noticeable. Mr. Ferry Coste has brought his series of papers 

 on " The Cliemistry of Insect Colours " {Ento/n.) to a close. These 

 were, in the beginning, so full of errors, and the generalisations arrived 

 at were so crude from insufficiency of experiment and material, that 

 it was a great pity the papers were not submitted to a competent friend 

 who would have advised the writing of a short summary of some three 

 or four pages, which would readily have comprised the facts worth 

 recording, instead of spreading them in useless fashion over so many 

 pages. One good scientific paper by Mr. Pierce on " The genital 

 organs of Coremia ferrugata and iinideniaria " {Entofu. Record) was 

 almost ruined by the accidental transposition of the names. Dr. 

 Chapman's papers on "The Genus Acronycta and its Allies" are now 

 practically completed, and there can be no doubt that such a scientific 

 overhauling of a genus has never before been given to any of our 

 Nocture, and at the same time, the papers will undoubtedly long 

 remain a standard reference work on the species described and discussed. 



Of individual efforts, none has been more disappointing scientifically 

 than the British Lepidopte7-a of Mr. C. G. Barrett. Advanced entomolo- 

 gists had looked forward to a scientific work on the lines of Edwards and 

 Scudder, and not for another elementary and popular treatise of which 

 we have already enough and to spare. Nothing but praise can be bestowed 

 upon Dr. Cooke's '• Entomogenous fungi, or Fungi parasitic on 

 Insects," a work which all entomologists should buy. English 

 bibliographists must be proud of Mr. Kirby's work " A Synonymic 

 Catalogue of Lepidoptera-Heterocera,' vol. i , a work which is far 

 beyond anything of the kind ever before attempted. The same 

 author has brought out a revised edition of his " Elementary Text- 

 Book of Entomology." " The British Nocture and their Varieties," 

 vols. ii. and iii. have been published, whilst vol. iv. is almost ready for 

 publication. This work is the only text-book on the subject ever 

 published, and has already proved a success. Very few local lists have 

 come to hand; those of Bognor, by Mr. A. Lloyd, F.E.S., and that of 

 Burton-on-Trent, Dr. Mason, being the only ones of importance. 



Of the Societies, there is little to be said and that little chiefly of a 

 congratulatory nature. The Entomological Society of London is as 

 evergreen as usual, and does excellent work. Its lyansactiofis are, as 

 they should be, the best entomological publication produced, and the 

 excellent Secretary, Mr. Cioss, asks for an increase of members to 

 enlarge and improve them still more. The City of London Entomo- 

 logical Society, with all its vicissitudes as to a meeting place, is probably 

 the most active of all the entomological societies, and its meetings show 

 probably a higher average of attendance for the year than any other 

 society in Britain (Ent. Soc. of London included). Its success is 

 undoubtedly due to two causes — first, its excellent Secretary, second, 

 the number of young members. The Secretary's activity has resulted 

 in a thoroughly complete list of subjects to be discussed at every 

 meeting, and in this way compares more than favourably with its 

 friendly rival the South London Entomological Society, which has been 

 left this season to chance discussions and chance exhibits. The Society 

 must feel this in time, as members will not save an evening with the 

 probability of wasting it. Of the provincial societies, an excellent 



